Peg-box.



10.778,451. PATENTED DEG. 2v, 1904. y. MATUSAK..

PEG B0X.

APPLICATION FILED MAB18, 1904.

- iweml'oz YLMML UNITED STATES Patented December 27, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

PEG-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,457, dated December27, 1904.

Application led March 1S, 1904. Serial No. 198,751.

Be it known that I, PETER MATUsAK, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at Greensburg, in the county of Westmoreland and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPeg-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

.My invention relates to improvements -in peg-boxes of violins; and itconsists of a plate secured on each side of the peg-boX-that is to say,on the outer wall of the peg-boxM which is of such construction that itis secured solely by the pegs to said walls and is of such constructionthat it is adapted for use on any violin of standard design without inany manner changing the instrument or injuring it by the use of jam-nutsor screws.

Violins are made with two styles of heads, one in which the peg-holesare grouped two at the top and two at the bottom of the head. In theother style the holes are equally distant from each other, and I haveillustrated my invention as adapted for both styles.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view o1 the head of a violinwith my invention attached. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the sideplate. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the opposite side plate. Fig. 4 isa side view of a violin-head, showing' the first step of securing theplate onto the sides of the peg-box. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of oneof the plates for use on a violin in which the peg-holes in the head areequally distant from each other.

1 represents the neck, 2 the peg-box, and 3 the head, of an approvedtype of violin, the peg-box having the usual walls 4.

5 and 6 represent side plates constructed 'for a violin wherein the pegsare grouped two at the top and two at the bottom oi' the head. rIheplate 6 is provided with three circular peg-openings 7, 8, and 9, therebeing an elongated slot l() terminating in a seat 11 for the peg, saidseat being set back from the slot toward the rear of the plate, asclearly shown in Fig. 3. The plate 5 is provided with two elongatedslots 12 13 and two circular openings 14 15, the openings and slotsalternating. These openings and slots are cut or formed to register withthe peg-openings on the standard violin. The only difference in theconstrueing the plate to hang loosely at right angles' to the head, asshown in Fig. 5. Slide left plate or 6 in position, with slot 11engaging the projecting' end of the peg E, the plate 6 being in properposition, with its openings registering with the peg-openings ot' thepeg-box.

I then insert pegs D and G from the lefthand side through the openings 7and 8 of the plate 6. The right plate 5 is then swung on the peg E as anaxis until the slots 12 and 13 engage with the ends of the pegsD and Gr,as shown in Fig. 2, thus bringing the opening 9 in plate 6 and theopening 15, plate 5, to register with the opening 16 in the peg-box,whereupon the peg A is passed through said openings, thus locking theplates 5 and 6 to the sides ot' the peg-box against movement. rlhe pegsD, E, and G are each provided with an annular groove near the end, intowhich the walls of the slots of the plates enter, thus locking saidplates against lateral movement, the washer 17 and pin 18, secured onthe peg A, being an vadditional means to lock the plates against lateralmovement. Each of the keys is provided with small ratchets 19 on theirheads, which are engaged by pawls 20, pivotally secured, by means ofstraps 21, on said plates, as clearly shown in the drawings. After thepegs and plates are thus secured the strings of the instrument may thenbe attached in the usual manner. It will be observed that the slots inthe plates are formed on the arc of a circle struck from the center oi"the opening 14 of the plate 5, whereby said plates may be swung intoposition on the peg' E, the peg E acting as a pivot or centering pin forthe plates. In the construction shown in Fig. 5 the peg E2 is the pivotor centering peg.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with the peg-box of a stringed musical instrument andthe keys thereof, of slotted plates' mounted upon one IOO of said keysand constructed to be swung upon said key, as a center, into engagementwith the other keys. l

2. The combination with the peg-box of a stringed musical instrument andthe keys thereof, of slotted locking-plates mounted upon one of saidkeys and constructed to be swung upon said key, as a center, intoengagement with the other keys.

3. The combination with the peg-box of a stringed musical instrument andthe keys thereof, of slotted plates mounted upon one of said keys andconstructed to be swung upon said key, as a center, into engagement withthe other keys, and locking means carried by said plates to lock saidkeys against rotation.

4. The combination with the peg-box of a stringed musical instrument andthe keys thereof, of a plate pivoted on each side of the box on one ofsaid keys and constructed to be swung upon said key, as a center, intoengagement with the other keys, and a pawl-andratchet mechanism betweensaid plates and said keys to lock the keys against rotation.

5. The combination with the peg-box of a stringed musical instrument andits keys, said keys having annular grooves near their ends, of a slottedplate pivoted upon one of said keys on each side of the peg-box and constructed to be swung upon said keys, as a center, into engagement withthe grooves in said keys.

6. The combination with the peg-box of a stringed musical instrument andthe keys thereof, of a locking-plate having a series of slots andopenings registering with said keys.

7. The combination with the keys of a stringed musical instrument, oflocking-plates having a series of openings and slots registering withsaid keys, said plates being mounted to swing upon one of said keys.

a series of pawls secured to said plates for engagement with theratchets of said keys.

l0. In a stringed musical instrument, the combination with the peg-boxand the keys thereof, a ratchet-wheel secu red to the head of each key,of locking-plates for said keys, one

. of said plates having two slots, one extending from the top and theother from the bottom toward the center of said plate and perforationsthrough said plate, the other plate having a slot extending from the topthereof toward the center and a series of perforations, the slots andperforations of said plates registering with said keys, said platesbeing mounted upon one of said keys and constructed to be swung uponsaid key, as a center, inte en gagement with the other keys, and aseries of pawls secured to said plates adjacent the perforationsthereof, and adapted to engage the ratchets on the head of said keys tolock said keys against rotation.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in i presence of twowitnesses,

PETER MATUSAK.

I/Vitnesses:

J. M. TRUXAL, W. F. WEGLEY.

